


Rebels Reign: The Red Curse

by AlmandineFox



Category: Original Work
Genre: Animals, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Dogs, Fantasy, Foxes, Gen, Original Fiction, Pack, Personification, Wolves, rebelsreign
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-09-06 08:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16828777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlmandineFox/pseuds/AlmandineFox
Summary: Rebels Reign: The Red Curse is an original animal fantasy work by yours truly under the pseudonym of Almandine Fox.Character Lists: CompleteOfficial Character Designs: 23 complete (Not posted)Map: Looking for commission, lacking fundsCover: Considering some artists, lacking fundsPrologue: Not StartedChapter 1: The Newcomer - CompleteChapter 2: Mock Battle - CompleteChapter 3: Temple Point - CompleteChapter 4: Akuh River - In ProgressMore Chapters to come!Please comment and leave some Kudos! Constructive criticism is welcomed!Now on to the actual intended publication- I hope you enjoy!REBELS REIGNCOUNCILALPHA:Emry - MaleVulpes vulpesBETA:Auburn - FemaleCanis simensisSHAMAN:Sapling - MaleCanis latransFANGS:Valor - MaleCanis latransIda - FemaleVulpes vulpesHEALER FANG:Regal - MaleVulpes vulpesRANKLESSGUESTS:(None)BEARERS:Helena - FemaleCanis lupus(Mate: Lorenzo)YOUNG:(None)SENIORS:(None)CLAWSCLAWS:Kalsi - FemaleVulpes vulpesEdith - FemaleVulpes vulpesLavender - FemaleVulpes vulpesHelio - MaleVulpes vulpesCitrus - FemaleVulpes vulpesCarnelian - FemaleVulpes vulpesCupri - FemaleVulpes vulpesVogel - MaleVulpes vulpesOka - FemaleCanis lupusClover - FemaleCanis lupusLorenzo - MaleCanis lupusHEALERS:Taw - MaleCanis lupusLiekos - MaleCanis lupusPAWSPAWS:Dapple - FemaleCanis lupusHEALER PAWSFeather - FemaleCanis lupusSNOUTSNOUT:(None)PACKLESS CANIDSCOLLARED:(None)WANDERERS:Rubens - MaleCanis lupus





	1. The Newcomer

**Author's Note:**

> Rebels Reign: The Red Curse is an original animal fantasy work by yours truly under the pseudonym of Almandine Fox.
> 
> Character Lists: Complete  
> Official Character Designs: 23 complete (Not posted)  
> Map: Looking for commission, lacking funds  
> Cover: Considering some artists, lacking funds  
> Prologue: Not Started  
> Chapter 1: The Newcomer - Complete  
> Chapter 2: Mock Battle - Complete  
> Chapter 3: Temple Point - Complete  
> Chapter 4: Akuh River - In Progress  
> More Chapters to come!
> 
> Please comment and leave some Kudos! Constructive criticism is welcomed!  
> Now on to the actual intended publication- I hope you enjoy!  
>  **REBELS REIGN**  
>  **COUNCIL**  
>  ALPHA:  
> Emry - Male _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  BETA:  
> Auburn - Female _Canis simensis_  
>  SHAMAN:  
> Sapling - Male _Canis latrans_  
>  FANGS:  
> Valor - Male _Canis latrans_  
>  Ida - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  HEALER FANG:  
> Regal - Male _Vulpes vulpes_
> 
>  **RANKLESS**  
>  GUESTS:  
> (None)  
> BEARERS:  
> Helena - Female _Canis lupus_  
>  (Mate: Lorenzo)  
> YOUNG:  
> (None)  
> SENIORS:  
> (None)
> 
>  **CLAWS**  
>  CLAWS:  
> Kalsi - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Edith - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Lavender - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Helio - Male _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Citrus - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Carnelian - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Cupri - Female _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Vogel - Male _Vulpes vulpes_  
>  Oka - Female _Canis lupus_  
>  Clover - Female _Canis lupus_  
>  Lorenzo - Male _Canis lupus_  
>  HEALERS:  
> Taw - Male _Canis lupus_  
>  Liekos - Male _Canis lupus_
> 
>  **PAWS**  
>  PAWS:  
> Dapple - Female _Canis lupus_  
>  HEALER PAWS  
> Feather - Female _Canis lupus_
> 
>  **SNOUT**  
>  SNOUT:  
> (None)
> 
>  **PACKLESS CANIDS**  
>  COLLARED:  
> (None)  
> WANDERERS:  
> Rubens - Male _Canis lupus_

A fox stood at the top of a rock pile, gazing down with gentle eyes at a brown, mottled wolf. She sat in the center of a vast clearing, her tail twitching nervously. “Beta Auburn,” said the fox firmly. A second female remained still, waiting expectantly on her haunches, encapsulated by the shadows of the rockpile. “Has this Paw met your expectations to proceed in becoming a Claw?” The fox’s voice was calm, his aging eyes looking somewhere beyond the gathered canines.

Dapple had heard these words plenty of times before, but at that time it had not been her sitting in the middle of the densite, and certainly not with the burning gazes of the pack on her. The previous night was spent with the Beta, an irritable _Simensis_ , in her Trial, hunting rabbits and sparring packmates with more effort than she had ever put forth in her six moons of training. _What happens if a Canid does not pass their Trial? Are they exiled?_ Dapple glanced anxiously at her father, who observed the ceremony next to Auburn. He nodded encouragingly at her as the Beta responded to the fox.

“Yes, Alpha Emry. Paw Dapple did fine in her Trial. It is indeed time she is made a Claw.” There wasn’t a flicker of pride or happiness in the Beta’s cold amber gaze. She was simply reciting what she always had when a Paw become a Claw.

Alpha Emry’s attention returned to Dapple. “You have worked hard to prove to us that you are worthy of becoming a Claw of Rebels Reign. You have taken an Oath to your pack, trained for six long moons, and your work has certainly paid off.”

He paused, taking a moment to scan the densite, his line of sight silently gathering the attention of the few who were looking elsewhere.

“I, Alpha Emry of Rebels Reign, proclaim to Genten and beyond that Claw Dapple is fully among our ranks. May this be known through the heavens and the Earth.”

The almost anxious silence erupted into cheers and chanting for the young wolf as the ceremony ended. Dapple’s family gathered around her, nudging her lovingly with their noses.

“I’m so proud of you, Dapple,” said her mother, Clover, a soft-pelted wolf with warm yellow eyes. She pressed against her. “To think, my daughter, already a Claw… Was it really that long ago that you were a tiny nameless pup, sleeping against my belly?”

The rest of the pack, after the chorus had faded, slowly returned to their daily duties, organizing hunts or patrols, grooming themselves and nonchalantly talking, or disappearing into dens to rest.

Embarrassed at her mother’s words, Dapple angled her ears back. It had only been a passage of four seasons since she and her sister Feather were born. As if summoned by the thought, Feather appeared alongside her father, Taw.

“Dad said I’ll be a Healer in only two more moons!” said Feather ecstatically.

“Yeah,” teased Dapple. “Until then I’ll get to boss you around...”

Ranks in the Rebels Reign pack were very strict. Healers and Claws were, in general, respected in the same way by their packmates, but it took a Healer two extra moons to complete training.

“I always knew you’d be a Claw. Healing just isn’t for everybody,” said her father matter-of-factly. He was a Healer, of course.

“Now, Taw,” said Clover, nudging her mate kindly, “We have one daughter in each branch. I told you at least one of them would be a Claw like me.”

Feather rolled her eyes as their parents quarreled, though both had a playful glint in their eyes. “Why do they have to bet on everything?”

Dapple ignored Feather’s question. “How’s your training?”

“There can’t be anything left for me to learn. I know so many medicines and remedies that there isn’t an ailment I can think of that I can’t cure or treat,” Feather said proudly.

“That’s wonderful. Any idea what your Trial is supposed to be?” Her own had been of physical strength, practical hunting, and a few battle scenarios, but she couldn’t imagine what a healer’s Trial could be. Though, she knew, all Paws must answer the questions regarding the Law that all Rebels upheld.

“None! No one will tell me. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.” Dapple opened her jaws to respond when another voice made its way into their conversation. “Claw Dapple! We need you for a hunt. Your first as a Claw.” It was their aunt, Claw Oka, beckoning with her tail and a warm smile.

Nudging her sister a goodbye, Dapple followed Oka over to where the rest of the hunt was waiting. There was Fang Valor, leading the hunt- Dapple admired him. He was kind to everyone. Seeing him, Dapple recalled that the Fang rank was a step above Claw, and very few were honored with the title. Fangs were on the Council, helping to make decisions for the pack, and were the only options when picking a new Beta if the Beta died. However, the most peculiar thing about Valor was that he was a L _atrans_ , otherwise known as a coyote.

Above all else, that was the strangest thing about her pack. The Rebels were a pack that welcomed any creature with the blood of _Canidae_. Now, in fact, most of the pack were V _ulpes_ , the foxes. She knew both L _atrans_ and V _ulpes_ were treated like prey or vermin by most wolf packs, but as Dapple had been born a Rebel, she had no grudge against the smaller canines.

Along with Oka, Dapple, and Valor on this patrol was Claw Lorenzo. She didn’t know much about him, but his mate, Helena, was expecting pups, and he didn’t spend much time away from her. He was staring across the densite towards where Helena had disappeared into an underground den, brown robin feathers sticking out between her teeth to line her nest.

The three wolves, led by a coyote, climbed the rise out of the valley where the pack made their home and spread out, sniffing around the sturdy trees for signs of an aging deer trail or a rabbit warren. Staying within sight of Valor, Dapple put her nose to the ground, perpetually covered in dry pine needles, and sniffed around. She found there wasn’t any more to smell than her packmates’ mingled scents.

The patrol continued onwards, until Valor stopped, ears perked and staring through the trees. As the patrol regrouped, Dapple followed his gaze. A young doe, limping and alone, but downwind and alert. _It knows we’re here._

“All right.” Said the coyote quietly, “Claw Dapple and Claw Lorenzo are enough to bring it down. We can’t get in each other’s way. Claw Oka and I will keep it close to you.”

The doe was already a few bounds away, and the two wolves pounded after it. Oka, though having seen many seasons, was quick on her paws, and cut it off from the front, snapping at its face and sending it whirling around with a cry of fear and slender kicking legs. Lorenzo and Dapple killed it before its hooves hit the ground.

For the Rebels, hunters walking into the valley with no prey was a rare occurrence. Unlike other packs, which were small and had to move often, the Rebels had been in this rich little valley for generations upon generations, taking Canids into their ranks who had seen what seemed like the whole world. Other species brought their customs and hunting techniques. _Vulpes_ learned to hunt with packmates and bring down larger prey, and wolves learned to stalk and pounce on small creatures as the lone foxes did.

Sometimes, even, strange and diverse canines would come. They were generally weak and small, and a creation of the S _apiens_ from wolves they had captured long ago. There weren’t any of these dogs, or _Familiares_ , in the pack currently, but occasionally one would meet a Wanderer that resembled one, or a S _apiens_ with the dogs in their servitude.

“Fantastic,” said Claw Oka, nudging herself under the dead deer’s flank. Dapple moved in to help her aunt, and with the others’ aid, had the prey balanced between them. That was another thing most packs didn’t do. Instead of summoning the pack, the prey was carried in the mouth, over one’s shoulders, or in pieces back to the densite, but never dragged on the ground. The Rebels had learned the hard way that a bloody trail straight to the camp was the perfect way to draw cougars and bears right to the pups and seniors. Another one of Dapple’s aunts, Camellia, had lost her life because of this mistake.

Fang Valor marked and scuffed the earth behind the rest of the hunters as they made their way back into the valley, disturbing the scent of fresh deer. Dapple and Oka let it slide from their shoulders onto the prey area, guarded by Beta Auburn, who nodded without a word.

The prey pile was always guarded by a Council member, who sat on a ledge above it, noting who hunted well and watching for anyone who thought they were slick enough to steal something before the nightly Feasting. If it wasn’t for this custom, every fox in the pack would have been trampled long ago in the scramble for food.

Their duty to the pack complete, the hunters dispersed. Supporting the heavy corpse had fatigued Dapple, so she padded to the small creek that ran through the middle of the valley and lapped at the cool waves. A few heartbeats passed, and the spotted wolf was aware of a silence in the valley. Lifting her dripping muzzle, she looked towards the main entrance and saw what everyone was looking at.

Surrounded by five Rebel Claws, all of whom were foxes, was a stranger- a huge wolf with a pelt the color of freshly drawn blood. His ears were shredded and his pelt thick and scarred. He had a dark marking across his sides, and his lower fangs stuck out between black lips.

The faces around Dapple were not of fear or anger, but only curiosity. New canines were a fairly common occurrence. Claw Lorenzo, among others, had appeared to the pack in a similar way, and now he was a trusted Claw. The pack watched as Alpha Emry bounded over. The stranger looked down at him, and his lip twitched, but he remained silent.

Though many times his size and quite intimidating, the Alpha ignored the wolf and looked at one of the foxes. “Claw Vogel, you are leading this patrol, no?”

The fox, his fur solid black save for a white tail tip, looked taken surprised to be singled out by the Alpha. Quietly, he responded, “Uh, yes, Alpha. This is-”

“To the whole pack, please.” The poor todd looked scared, with all the pack’s eyes on him. He was quite a few seasons older than Dapple, but he didn’t talk much to anyone other than his sister, a Fang. He contrasted Fang Ida’s confidence well, but both the siblings were generally reserved to all but each other, at least from what Dapple had experienced.

Finding his voice, the black fox announced, “My patrol has found a Wanderer. H-He will state his intentions in Rebel territory.”

If looks could kill, this newcomer would have murdered Vogel at that moment. “Yes,” coughed the red stranger, his voice gruff. “I was born Rubens. I have no pack, and I have come across this one, and hope that you have mercy on a lonely and tired wolf, and allow me into your ranks.” He paused, eyes scanning those around him. Dapple noticed his voice had a slight lisp from his deformed mouth. “Though, I did not expect a skulk of foxes to be the reigning pack of Genten.”

Yipping complaints from the pack’s foxes began to build, but old Alpha Emry met Ruben’s yellow eyes. “That is our way,” he was saying, and the pack hushed each other, those further away padding forward to hear their leaders singular voice.

“That’s why we are called Rebels, Wanderer Rubens. We rebel against the common way of _Canidae_. Please refrain from disrespecting the V _ulpes_ here by such generalizations.”

Rubens snorted.

_It’s true that the pack is mostly foxes,_ thought Dapple, _but this wolf sure has a lot to learn._

“How many moons have you seen, Wanderer Rubens?” Fang Valor asked from the front of the crowd.

Rubens stared at him for a few heartbeats, as if in disbelief that a coyote was talking to him, but must have thought better than to question it. “Twenty-five.”

Dapple, now sitting on her haunches near the stream, was bewildered by this. He certainly looked much older than twenty-five moons. _He must have been in a lot of fights for his time,_ she thought, looking at the scars that criss-crossed his pelt.

The questioning continued. “To whom were you born?”

“A nearby pack… one sun’s travel. I know not its name. My parents are gone from this world..”

At this, the pack was quiet. No mother or father, no littermates, no pack at all? Dapple could hardly imagine. She didn’t want to, anyway.

Valor went on, unfazed. “Perhaps your pack didn’t have a name, many don’t.” _Of course,_ she thought. He and his brother were the only coyotes in the pack. Being lonely wasn’t a big deal to them anymore. _But at least they have each other._

The Fang, his question answered, became silent and looked expectantly at Emry. It wasn’t his place to say what was to be said next. The old Alpha stood, his tail stretched behind him. For his age and size, Alpha Emry could still look like a leader.

”If you wish to join us and become a Rebel, Wanderer Rubens, you must take an oath of loyalty, and then begin your formal training under our Beta Auburn.”

Dapple noticed now that the pack had given Rubens a wide girth. Even the patrol that had flanked him on the way in had joined the crowd of canines. Rubens was massive and did look strange with his red pelt and his teeth sticking out, but she imagined he must feel surrounded, even threatened. Dapple crept forward, weaving her way to the front of the pack, delicately stepping over a few foxes’ tails.

”I need a pack, and I’ll say whatever you need if you will allow me one. Within your ranks, I can make this pack strong.” He sat on his haunches, looking nonchalant. Maybe he doesn’t feel threatened at all. He looked like he could tear the pelt off of anyone here. The muscles rippled in his shoulders.

The whole pack was gathered now, quietly listening, settled in the soft pine needles. Beta Auburn stared Rubens down, her voice stern. “Listen, Wanderer,” she barked. “Before we can accept you, you must agree to our code, vow on your life in a ceremony that you will not break the Law in which we live. As the Alpha stated, only then can your physical abilities be assessed by _me_.”

Dapple wasn’t a big wolf, and Auburn was even smaller than her, but she sure could bark. Why did the Council always have to use such big words? She tried to follow the Beta’s speech as she continued. Rubens was silent.

“The First Law,” she recited, “Is that all creatures of our vast family _Canidae_ are equally welcome as Rebels. _Lupus_ , like you, S _imensis_ , like me, V _ulpes, Latrans_ , and many more to name.”

Rubens slowly nodded at this. _He is beginning to understand!_ Thought Dapple with a small wag of her tail. All creatures knew what they were and what others were. Dapple knowing that she was _Lupus_ , child of _Canis_ , of _Carnivora_ , _Mammalia_ \- it was instinctual. Knowing that _Animales_ is the ancestor of himself, everyone he knew, all the prey-creatures, and even the _Sapiens_ was something Rubens should surely already know. The only thing new to him, Dapple concluded, was a respect for each other, to view the other _Canids_ as equal.

“The Second Law is to follow the Order. You will learn it quickly. Follow the commands of those above you without objection,” the Beta continued. She opened her jaws to say more, but Emry interjected.

“Beta Auburn, now is a good time to introduce our guest to those who, hopefully, will become his packmates.” Something in his tone suggested he was silently opposed to his Beta’s sternness with the newcomer.

Auburn gazed at her superior for a moment, as if taking time to register what he had said. “Ah, yes, of course, Alpha Emry.” She turned back to Rubens, who was beginning to look bored and resumed her authoritative posture. “Alpha Emry is the leader of this pack. We all answer to him and he has the first choice of our prey.”

The Alpha nodded down at Rubens. Perched on his rocks, Emry towered over even the brutish-looking wolf.

Rubens gave him a cynical look. “In my pack, there was no choice in prey. Whoever could grab the best meat first kept it. I ate well, at least among those my age.”

“And you will eat well here, too, if you follow our Laws,” said Auburn. Dapple glanced between them. If this male had it so well before, why did he leave his birth-pack? _Honestly,_ she thought, _he looks like he would fit well in a savage and lawless pack._ She felt a pang of guilt at her sour thought.

The Beta was still talking. “The Beta and the Shaman have equal rank. I am Beta Auburn, _Canis simensis_. That is Shaman Sapling.” She nodded at the coyote with the sandy pelt. Sapling had pine needles stuck to his flanks, but he didn’t seem to notice. “I train newcomers and young _Canids_ to be Rebels and keep order within the densite,” continued Auburn. “The Shaman trains those who wish to use plants to heal, and read feathers.”

Rubens looked at the Shaman in confusion. “I’ve never heard of such a practice. I knew some plants can heal, but no wolf of my pack had such time to figure them out.”

Sapling yipped in laughter. “Our knowledge is passed through a continuous line of Healers and Shamans. The birds are messengers of Spirits!”

According to the look in Rubens’s eyes, that didn’t clear much up for him, but Beta Auburn still kept talking. “Below us are the Fangs, and one of them is always also a Healer. Fang Ida, Fang Valor, and Fang Regal.” Auburn angled her ears towards each one in turn. Ida was a silver fox, Valor was a gray coyote with a slightly upturned snout, and Regal was a red and white fox. “All of us make up the Council so that one _Canid_ doesn’t have all the power of leadership; it makes tyranny impossible.”

Rubens scratched at a bug on his ear.

“After the Council,” Auburn said, “Are those who are considered to temporarily not have a rank. Wanderers who stay with us, like you right now, Bearers, who are females carrying or nursing young, their pups, and our Seniors. You should know Helena is carrying pups, and Fabia is a senior.”

Rubens nodded to indicate he was still listening as he stared at the ground by Auburn’s paws with a blank expression. At the mention of the Bearer, Dapple swung her head around to look at Helena. She was heavily pregnant and had a creamy yellow pelt. Now, she was sitting next to Lorenzo. Nearby was Fabia, an ancient gray _Vulpes_. She was sound asleep in the middle of the densite.

“The bulk of the pack is the Claws, at equal rank to our Healers…” Auburn’s speech was uninterrupted, and Dapple was growing restless, but she tried to look alert out of respect for the Council. The Beta explained that Feather was the only Paw and was training to be a Healer. At this, Rubens and Feather only exchanged a brief glance.

_Is he excited to be joining a pack? Or just so desperate and tired that he doesn’t care about learning our Law and customs?_ By now many Rebels had dispersed. The older ones had heard this before, whenever a new Wanderer showed up. Dapple stayed to listen, along with some others. Feather sat beside her as they observed.

“That’s all for the Order…” Auburn said. “The third Law…” Dapple’s ears swiveled forward. She nudged her sister and murmured, “Feather! Beta Auburn didn’t mention Snouts.”

“It-” Feather stopped mid-sentence and stretched her jaws in a wide yawn. “It doesn’t matter, there hasn’t been a Snout for seasons, the rank barely exists anymore.” She put her head back down on her paws.

_Feather is probably right,_ thought Dapple. If he heard about the Snout, the rank reserved for prisoners or insane _Canids_ , he might leave. It was nice, she pondered, to have a new packmate, even if he was scary-looking. Perhaps they would be friends. The only Rebel near her age was her sister, who was so busy with her Healer work that she never had much time to talk.

Auburn went through the rest of the Laws quickly, and Dapple knew all of them well. The third was just about how Wanderers can stay with the pack without joining for one night, the fourth about how the Life Oath works, the fifth is the consequences for refusing it if one was born in the pack- exile.

The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth Laws were about whom you were allowed to mate with and whom you shouldn’t. They said you had to have a Mateship ceremony, you couldn’t have any other mates, they had to be in the pack, and it had to be possible for the union to produce pups, for that was the purpose of a Mateship. These seemed obvious to Dapple. The fact that they had to be specified in the Law slightly unnerved her.

The tenth Law was about the Howl, where the entire pack climbs the mountain to Temple Point and give thanks to the Spirits for the pack’s prosperity. The eleventh said you hunt within the marked territory, and the twelfth said you couldn’t abandon your pack.

Rubens did not react much as Auburn explained any of these, and when she barked “Do you understand?” at him, he only nodded. At least until Auburn recited the thirteenth Law.

“If a Rebel breaks their Oath,” she said, “They shall be permanently exiled.”

At this, Rubens looked up and met her eyes. Dapple read a flash of panic in them. “Exiled?” Auburn nodded sternly. He said nothing for a few heartbeats, and then, “Is that all of them?”

Dapple hadn’t noticed that Shaman Sapling was gone until he reappeared at that moment, with two long feathers sticking out between his teeth. One was black, and one was white. _Oh,_ she thought, aware of the crowd growing around her again. A Life Oath ceremony. She remembered her own. For pack-born pups, it was the transition from pup-hood into training. Some pups stopped sleeping next to their mother after that, but she and Feather hadn’t. Actually, her whole family still slept curled together most nights.

For Wanderers, the Life Oath was indeed the transition to a new Life. _After hearing our Laws,_ Dapple pondered, _is he going to take the Oath?_

“Yes, Wanderer Rubens. If you wish to join us and Rebel against the common way, we will go through with a Life Oath ceremony,” announced the Shaman after placing the Feathers delicately at Rubens’ paws. He was loud enough to lift the heads and silence the tongues of those who weren’t paying attention.

“Simply place your paw on the plumage of the _Corvus_ and the _Cygnus_ , and repeat my words, if you agree:” Rubens’ paw was so big that Dapple only saw the tip of the swan feather sticking out from under his claws.

“I vow upon my life,” said Sapling.

“I vow upon my life.” Repeated Rubens, his voice much deeper when heard with the coyote’s.

“That I will uphold,”

“That I will uphold.”

“The Law of the Ancients,”

“The Law of the Ancients.”

“To my final dying breath, as a Claw of Rebels Reign.”

“To my final dying breath, as a Claw of…uh...”

“Rebels Reign.”

“Yes, Rebels Reign,” said the Shaman with a nod. “All is for the Rebels…”

“All is for the Rebels.”

“And peace be upon the lands.”

“Peace be upon the lands.” The Shaman stepped back. “Paw Rubens! Welcome, Rebel!” he howled.

At this, the pack erupted into howls, yips, and cheering for their new packmate. “Welcome, Rebel!”

Dapple let her voice join the others. “Welcome, Rebel!”

“Welcome, Rebel!”

Rubens spun on the spot and looked around the densite, his new home, and Dapple saw what could only be described as a joyous, crooked grin cross his snout.


	2. Mock Battle

That evening’s Feasting was a celebratory one, Claw Carnelian, a vixen, graciously volunteered to lead an extra hunting patrol so that there would be plenty of food, and they returned with five plump rabbits. Rubens didn’t turn down any offers from the Council as they distributed the food, and after eating, his tired eyes looked brighter. 

However, he didn’t come across as… sociable. The massive wolf didn’t initiate conversations, and he spent a lot of time quietly sitting around the densite, staring at nothing. Dapple hadn’t spoken to him yet, and this was where he was as she approached him, two suns after his arrival.

“Hey, Rubens,” she greeted, settling a respectful distance away. “Is our pack everything you expected it to be?”

The big male turned to look at her. Their golden eyes met, and after a heartbeat, he looked away again. He set his eyes on the creek at the bottom of the ravine.

“Paw Rubens?” Had he not heard her?

“Please leave me alone.” He said flatly after another moment of silence. Dapple, taken by surprise, tipped her head to one side. “...Is something wrong?”

Without looking her way again, Rubens emitted a low, wordless growl. A heartbeat passed, and he was still staring at the creek.

Dapple shook her head and left him to whatever he was doing. Feather appeared before her, cutting across her path and smelling strongly of medical herbs.

“Hey Feather. What are you up to?”

Feather spoke quickly. “Kalsi needs comfrey for her joints. I keep telling her to retire, she’s seventy-six but thinks she’s still forty moons. She’s got three adult kits, let alone the rest of the pack to take care of her, but she still goes hunting, and with winter coming I just hope she doesn’t get hurt, or we won’t have any comfrey left!”

As Feather ranted, Dapple pondered that she was glad she had chosen to be a Claw. Her sister’s life sounded so stressful.

“And Taw says that I can’t go gather it myself because I’m ‘only a Paw’? Well you can leave the densite yourself and we’re both twelve, and Taw isn’t Shaman!”

“But Taw is our father, and he’s still a rank above you,” Dapple pointed out. Before her sister could start ranting again, she said, “I tried to talk to Rubens and he just growled at me.”

“Oh, don’t worry about him. It’s only been a few suns, he’ll figure out he needs to make friends before long.” Feather paused, a mischievous grin creeping across her face. “Why do you want to talk to him so bad, anyway?”

“I never said-” Dapple sighed. “I just wanted to try and make a friend.”

“Make friends with Vogel, or Ida, or Kalsi’s kits. They’re closer to our age than he is. Speaking of Kalsi, I’d better get going.” Without waiting for a response, Feather was across the camp nosing through the medicine stores.

The suns continued the pass, pausing for no Canid. Rubens was still isolating himself, though instead of watching the sky or the creek, watched his packmates. Sometimes Dapple would feel his golden stare scorching her pelt from across the valley. 

Most mornings he spent training with Auburn, and both of them returned to camp in one piece. Dapple concluded that the two scariest Rebels must have been getting along well enough. She had decided that it was best not to speak with Rubens if he prefered to be left alone. At least, until she was awoken one morning by a sharp nip on the ear from the Beta.

“Up, Claw Dapple! The sun is high!”

Dapple kicked her legs as she scrambled to get up and her head clunked against the stone ledge she had settled under. Shaking off the pain and the dead leaves that clung to her pelt, she stood alert. “Yes, Beta Auburn! Sincere apologies for oversleeping.”

“‘Sorry’ catches no prey, and it trains no Rebels.” snapped Auburn. Dapple hung her head. There was no arguing with the _Simensis._ _Wait, _she thought, _did she say something about training Rebels?_ Only then did she notice Rubens waiting behind the Beta.

“Rubens’ training for today will be a mock battle. Just because it’s been moons since Akuh River has reared their ugly heads doesn’t mean we should drop our guard. Understand, Claw?”

Dapple nodded briskly. 

She followed them up the rise and out of the valley. She wondered if Rubens knew who Akuh River was. If his birthpack had been only a sun’s travel away, surely he must at least know they exist? That pack was violent and ruthless, expanding their borders as far as they could defend at the cost of lives. Perhaps his pack was one of many who had been destroyed by Akuh River.

Auburn led them to a dip in the earth with sandy soil and sparse trees. It was a popular training location. Waiting for them were two red foxes, Alpha Emry, and his son, Claw Helio.. 

To Dapple, Helio was a thoughtful todd. A fox of few words, the words that did escape him were always well-reasoned. Dapple had always thought he would make a good Council member. She recalled that his mateship to Citrus, one of Kalsi’s kits, had been when Dapple and Feather were young pups. She dipped her head in greeting. Rubens glanced at her and copied the gesture.

“In battle,” announced Auburn, “a large Rebel such as a _lupus_ must defend the lives of smaller Canids before their own, especially when engaged with other large Canids, such as the Akuh wolves to the north.”

_By the Spirits,_ thought Dapple, _I was supposed to be done with training._

Emry, though he ranked about Auburn, allowed her to lead the training. Dapple wished he hadn’t.

The Beta spoke directly to Rubens. “Claws Dapple and Helio will be your opponents. You will protect Alpha Emry as well as defend yourself.” Rubens nodded. “Remember, this is a spar. Make contact, but do not harm your packmates.”

Dapple aligned herself next to Helio. Across the clearing, Emry faced her, Rubens at his side. _When he came here,_ she thought, _he said he could make us strong._ His ears were angled forward in anticipation. _So eager to fight._

“Begin.” said Auburn, well off to the side of the clearing.

The spar was short and quick. Immediately, Rubens rushed towards Dapple. She sidestepped him, shielding Helio. The todd lunged at Rubens’ legs, nipping at the fur on his legs, but drawing no blood. Emry was on Dapple’s shoulders, nipping her ears. She shook him off, pausing to watch him safely land on the ground. He nodded at her reassuringly.

A yelp behind her made Dapple forget that this was a training spar. Rubens had a flailing Helio around the midsection as he lifted his head high and waved the fox around. Auburn barked something, but the blood in Dapple’s ears was too loud to hear as she slammed into Rubens.

Before another thought crossed her mind, Rubens had slammed her to the ground, his eyes wild, and Helio lay still next to Dapple’s ear. Alpha Emry was a distance away, also laying in the dirt.

“Rubens, please relax-” Dapple cut herself off with a cough. He had knocked the wind out of her. Auburn was fuming. Rubens gazed around him, and his tail curled under him when his eyes met the Beta’s. Dapple stood and shook out her fur. Helio’s eyes were open and alert, and Emry was already standing next to Beta Auburn. _Thank the Spirits._

“You have _failed_ today’s lesson, Paw Rubens. You injured your packmates, and you failed to protect Alpha Emry, in fact, you attacked him yourself,” said the _Simensis._

“I’m sorry, Beta. The foxes all look the same.”

Dapple thought Auburn was going to bite him, but she turned with a growl and padded in the direction of camp. Alpha Emry cast a sympathetic glance at Rubens and followed, Helio close at his side. The Rebel leader was limping slightly.

Rubens didn’t seem to notice that Dapple still stood there, but he looked miserable. _I ought to say something._

“Don’t mind her. It’s an easy mistake to make. You’re not a fox.”

“I have to mind her,” he huffed. “I’m an initiate again. I already did this in my birth pack.” He met her eyes. “She’s ranks above me, and she hates me.”

“Auburn acts like she hates everyone, but I don’t believe it. I trained under her not that long ago, you know. Has she showed you the territory yet?”

“Yes, Claw Dapple.”

“You’re moons older than me. Just call me Dapple. And I bet she didn’t show you the climbing cliff.”

“No, she didn’t, Dapple. Do… do you want to go there?”

Dapple padded slowly alongside the crimson wolf toward the south. _The valley won’t miss us._

“Me and my sister would sneak out of the densite when we were Paws, and one night we found this,” she said as they approached the cliff. It was a steep and tall rise of boulders, probably the result of a rockslide from moons ago. “ If you know where to put your paws, you can climb it easily as if you were a goat. We used to race up to the top.” She leapt onto the first big stone. “It’s been so long since I was here…”

Rubens tentatively placed his forepaws against the rise. The rocks didn’t move.

“It’s safe,” she reassured him. “Follow my lead, I’ll show you the view.”

Dapple felt the familiar pawholds as she climbed higher. She paused to make sure that her companion hadn’t fallen. He was doing well, though slow and clumsy, but he only slipped once. He joined her at the top, where the mountain became too steep and smooth to climb higher.

“The pines don’t grow here, so you can see everything.” Dapple told him. To the south, they could make out the massive Lake Tanisawa. It was fed by streams from the Genten Mountains, which was mostly Rebel territory. She explained this to Rubens, who gazed out at them thoughtfully. “Say,” she inquired, “which way is your birthpack?”

He looked at her quietly for a moment, and said, “I’m not good with directions. I wandered so many different places before I arrived.” She nodded. In silence, they observed the world beneath them. Dapple heard a deer call nearby, but didn’t care. 

“If I’m allowed to say…” mumbled Rubens.

“Yes?”

“You’re a better teacher than Beta Auburn.”

“Well, I don’t think I’ll ever be Beta, but it’s nice that you think that. Just don’t say it to her face.” Dapple laughed lightly.

“Yeah.” His laughter was a gruff, rumbling sound.

By the time that they returned to the densite, the sun had escaped them and bathed the peaks with a passionate orange glow.

Dapple padded down the sloping path into the densite, which was not setting with the sun. She herself prefered the daylight, but the Rebels were active all the time. Almost immediately, she was greeted by the brown eyes of her sister, who spoke around a bundle of leaves clamped in her jaws.

“Where in the realms have you been all sun?! Auburn came back fuming, but I saw you leave with her.”

“I was training Paw Rubens.” Dapple looked around, but the male had disappeared.

“It’s not your job to do that without the Beta. She has to oversee everything.” Feather brushed away pine needles from a spot on the ground and placed the leaves there.

“Auburn oversees enough to know he’s capable. He needs all the training he can get, or he’ll be thirty moons and still a Paw. That skinny old wolf should be grateful for my aid.”

Another voice made Dapple startle. It was her father. “Don’t talk about your Beta like that,” he growled. “Your sister’s right, leave Rubens’ training to those who are tasked with it.”

Her gaze flicked between her father and sister in disbelief. “I’m a Claw now! I can leave the dens whenever I need to, and Rubens was with me the entire time. We didn’t break any Law- He needs to know about the surrounding lands, so I showed him Tanisawa.”

Taw shook his head, but was apparently satisfied, because he left his daughters to their bickering, heading for Helena’s den.

“Tanisawa?” said Feather, “That’s many sun’s travel off-” She gasped, staring at Dapple. “You didn’t.”

“What?”

“Did you take the brute to the climbing cliff?”

“That’s a bit harsh, Feather,” said Dapple, “but yeah, it’s the only place in the territory you can really see that far south.”

Feather’s paws scraped the earth, almost scattering her leaves, as her jaws snapped a hair from Dapple’s face.

“How could you?! That was our special spot!”

Dapple flinched. Her brown ears lowered in anger. “Everything in this territory belongs to all of us- were you planning on hiding a massive pile of rocks from the pack?”

Feather glared at her in silence for a difficult heartbeat. “Now it’s just a pile of rocks to you?” she growled. “Our spot?”

_By the Spirits,_ Dapple thought, her jaw hanging in shock, _what am I doing?_ Before she could apologize, Feather was marching off to the Council den (though it wasn’t much of a den than a clearing with an entrance) with her leaves. Dapple followed at a quick pace. The main entryway to the den was wide and framed with bright yew branches, adorned with their brighter red fruit. If she wasn’t pursuing her sister, perhaps she would have stopped to admire them.

Inside, what looked like the tallest trees in Genten lined a tidy round clearing; the pine needles that littered everywhere else were periodically cleaned out. The moon was just visible between the branches, white against a lavender sky. Even when the sun was highest, this clearing was streaked and dappled by shadows. She hadn’t been in here much before. It was the domain of the Council.

Dapple also saw the Alpha laying in a large nest lined with feathers and moss. _Doesn’t the Council have it nice._ Feather’s eyes were trained on Emry’s paw, which she was wrapping in the leaves. The Healer Fang Regal, a todd with thick and messy white fur around his neck, was watching her technique, no doubt because of the upcoming Healer ceremony in a moon. 

“Feather-”

“Get out, Dapple.” Her sister growled without looking. “You aren’t a Healer, you can’t just canter into anyone’s den that you want.”

Regal exhaled quietly but did not speak. Alpha Emry, however, slowly pulled his paw underneath him and away from Feather. As if calming an upset puppy, he soothed, “Now, Paw Feather, calm yourself.” He flicked his long tail, beckoning Dapple, who awkwardly padded over. Emry always acted like he was father to the whole pack, which Dapple supposed wasn’t a terrible thing.

“I’d suppose that you’re welcome here any time, so long as the Council is not in session, and that my denmates agree.”

Dapple considered this a moment, and remembered that the Alpha’s denmates usually included Beta Auburn. _I’d rather not._

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” she said with a respectful dip of her head, “My sister and I were having a discussion when she left, so eager to get on with her duties.”

Regal’s eyes were narrow. “As she should be, Claw Dapple. My Alpha, please present your injured paw to Feather.” 

Emry moved his paw forward again. Some of the leaves looked out of place now, and Feather nibbled on the tiny stems with a huff, pushing them back into place.

Dapple took a step back, having given up on reconciling with her sister for now, but before she could even turn around Emry looked up at her again. “Come, sit with us and stay a while.”

She settled on her haunches. No leaving now- Alpha’s orders. _How long, exactly, is a ‘while’?_ She didn’t want to be near her sister.

“It sounds to me,” said Emry, “That you two have had more than a ‘discussion’. You were right outside.” 

Feather licked furiously at the leaf wrapped paw, trying to press down a stubborn stem. Dapple looked at her own forepaws in shame.

“I need webs to get this to stick.” said Feather. Regal nodded and maneuvered a dense ball of spiderweb to Emry’s paw, unsticking it from his own with expert ease. Both of them were ignoring the Alpha’s words.

To Dapple’s relief, he did not attempt to directly reconcile their quarrel. “Did Feather tell you she delivered her first litter this morning?”

“Helena whelped smoothly? That’s fantastic.” said Dapple. Feather glanced at her while trying to unravel the webs from her paws.

“How many pups did she have?” she asked, to only be answered with a glare from Fang Regal. “Claw Dapple,” he said, “you forget yourself.”

“Oh!” she exclaimed, “I’m sorry.” Before Helena, Clover had been the last Rebel to whelp pups. Dapple had never met a pup since she had been one.

The rule that Regal was referring to was that no _Canid_ can see a pup for their first moon of life, except for those in the Healing branch and the parents.

At the end of this moon is the Naming Ceremony, the first time the pups are left alone in the den, and their first trial towards becoming a Rebel. They are coaxed out and meet all their packmates before their name is declared to the pack. She vaguely remembered her own ceremony. She remembered being scared of all the new faces.

“Well, the pups’ ceremony will be another thing to look forward to next moon.”

Feather stepped back and gave Dapple a cautious smile. “Yeah.”

“We’re done here, Alpha.” said Regal. “Don’t put weight on that paw today, a Healer will remove the binding in the morning, and you’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Healers, and thank you for your visit, Dapple.” he said, placing his paw over the edge of his nest. “Come and see your old Alpha sometime. You’re good company.”

“You’ll see many more seasons, good Alpha.” she said. “Don’t call yourself old.”

They left him to his rest, Feather and Dapple walking side by side to the stream, where Feather rinsed her paws of webs. “Sorry about earlier.” said Feather. “I picked up some anger from Auburn. Helio and Emry both came back injured, and I was worried when you didn’t come back at all.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “Thanks for caring.”

Feather had opened her mouth to respond when Beta howled for the Feasting. The sky was dark now. They leapt the steam and joined their packmates by the prey pile. 

Today, along with a bighorn ewe, there were a few rabbits and a small doe. The Council stood over the prey, Emry limping over to join them, careful not to let his wrapped paw touch the ground. 

Clover greeted her daughters with licks, followed closely by Oka. Feather was watching their father, who was speaking with a young male _Lupus,_ Healer Liekos.

“You can join them if you want,” said Dapple. “I don’t mind.”

“No,” she said. “They’re busy.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “And I want to tell you about the whelping! It was so cool. I’ve never felt so close to the Spirits.”

Dapple glanced at her mother and aunt. They were chattering joyfully- It sounded like something about a squirrel. 

“Go on.” Dapple whispered. “How many pups did she have?”

“Claw Dapple!” barked a voice, startling both sisters. Dapple whirled around and saw a _Latrans_ with a dark pelt standing within earshot of their murmurs. Feather looked at something distant.

“Yes, Fang Valor?” she said.

“You didn’t present anything to the prey pile today. Where were you?”

Feather sighed in relief. Dapple suppressed her own exhale. “Much of my sun was spent helping Beta Auburn train Rubens, Fang,” she explained. “When Alpha and Claw Helio were injured, Beta accompanied them back here. I stayed with Rubens and continued his training.” She lowered herself onto her belly so that Valor was taller than her, letting her ears droop. “I hope that’s alright.”

“That’s fine,” he said. “I think you’ll make a good Beta someday.” He bounded away before Dapple could respond. His brother Sapling, his face covered in deer blood, was digging the animal’s organs out to distribute, while Auburn stripped chunks off of it’s leg. Sapling presented the liver of the deer to Valor, who returned to Dapple with it delicately held by his fangs.

“There’s plenty for everyone,” the Fang said as Dapple wolfed down the soft organ meat. “Auburn will bring you two the ewe leg to share, once it’s ready.”

Feather nodded. At the prey pile, Auburn was struggling to detach the animal’s limb. 

Dapple imagined that the Feasting would go much faster if those who distributed the meat were the strongest wolves instead of the Council. _But,_ she thought, _That’s how savage packs Feast._ Either way, she had no say in it. 

Before long, every Rebel was working on some meat in front of them. Kalsi’s three kits were nearby, Carnelian, Citrus, and Cupri, lined up along a rib bone, gnawing on the meat that clung to it.

_Foxes would never be able to hunt a deer or goat on their own,_ Dapple considered. _Because they live as Rebels, they can have plentiful meat instead of living on mice and rabbits. How the Spirits have blessed us!_

Her belly full now, Dapple absently gazed around the densite. Lorenzo was slipping into Helena’s den with a bloody piece of ewe dangling from his jaws.

“Oh yeah, Feather. You were going to tell me about Helena’s pups,” she said.

Feather’s snout was still inside the ewe leg as she searched for any more loose meat. She extracted it and licked blood from her nose. “Pup. There was only one.”

“One pup?” she said. “Isn’t that bad luck, or something?”

“Yeah, but that’s just because Seniors tell too many stories. She looks like her pelt will turn out like her Mom’s. Liekos said that _Regal_ said that _all Canids_ are born with a dark pelt.” Her expression was glowing with passion for her work.

“That’s interesting,” Dapple lied. “But don’t you think that the stories can’t be _entirely_ wrong?”

“Don’t even say that.” Feather growled softly. “She’s perfectly healthy, and don’t tell anyone anything about her until her Ceremony, or we’ll both get in trouble.”

Dapple rolled her eyes playfully. “Healer knows best.”


	3. Temple Point

“Why should I wait?” Rubens barked. Heads around the camp turned towards the building commotion at the prey pile. _Oh no,_ thought Dapple.

“Because,” growled Auburn, dangerously quiet, “The food is saved for the Feasting. One meal per sun is enough for one _Canid_.” The red fur on both of them was bristling. Rubens was much bigger than the Beta, but both looked like they were restraining themselves from drawing blood.

Dapple had been curled near her mother, nonchalantly talking about flowers and plants. The weather was increasingly cold; no Rebel dared to wade in the stream now. The sun was on its way towards the horizon. Auburn stood in front of the prey pile, facing off with the Paw. Dapple glanced at Clover, who was watching thoughtfully.

Fang Ida thrust her lithe silver body between the Beta and Rubens. “No blood will be shed in this densite tonight.” Rubens gaze burned as he gazed down at her, but he said nothing.

“Everyone, relax,” commanded the husky voice of Alpha Emry. He had hauled himself up the rockpile, which amplified his stature and voice as he addressed the pack. “Beta Auburn. Calm your temper, and keep it calmed, or there will be consequences. A Beta must be wise in her mind as well as her demeanor.”

Rubens smirked, and Auburn glared around, but said nothing. “And you-” barked Emry suddenly, making Rubens jump. “Are a Paw. You disobey the Law with your insubordination. You will obey those Rebels of higher rank, without argument. Another incident from either of you, and I will initiate a vote.”

The pack was quiet now. Emry was usually quiet and cool, but today didn’t seem like one of his best. _Everyone has those times,_ thought Dapple, considering the day of her last argument with Feather about the climbing cliff.

The Rebels, as the incident which had drawn their attention ended, resumed their daily business. Intending to continue talking about the way lavender smells, Dapple turned back to her mother. “Even if there is a vote called,” said Clover, apparently thinking aloud, “Beta Auburn is a loyal and skilled Rebel. She just gets angry too easily. Paw Rubens must have been intimidated…”

Dapple didn’t know if “intimidated” was the best way to ever describe Rubens, but she appreciated how her mother tried to see the best in every _Canid_. “I’ve never seen a vote called, how does that work, exactly?” Dapple inquired of her mother.

“Well, you know that the Council meets to make decisions on things. If the issue regards someone on the Council or if the Alpha decides he should, he can ask for the votes of the Claws and Healers in the pack, in addition to that of the Council, so then everyone helps to decide what is to be done.”

“What if there’s a vote called against Rubens?” asked Dapple. Rubens had broken the Law of the Ancients by not obeying Auburn, but the Alpha had given him another chance.

“Emry is a kind leader. I don’t think he will have a vote against an inexperienced Paw.”

Dapple nodded. “I hope you’re right.”

She gazed around the densite, hoping to see where Rubens had gone. Most of the pack was in the valley, talking quietly in small groups, no doubt spreading gossip about what had occurred. The red pelts of Rubens and Auburn were easy to pick out; the Beta was speaking with a small group of Council members consisting of Emry, Ida, and Valor. Rubens was further away, glaring at the stream below like he seemed to do when he was agitated.

Taw approached Clover from the direction of the herb stores and nuzzled her affectionately. The densite was quiet, save for the murmurs of the Rebels, and the louder voice of the old white fox Kalsi as she gathered Claws a patrol.

Dapple stood and nodded a greeting to her father, then turned and trotted towards Rubens. As she approached, she noticed Feather watching her across the camp. She gave her sister a quick smile before turning to the red Paw. “Hey Rubens.”

“What do you want,” he huffed.

“You just looked lonely.” She sat on her haunches, a polite distance away.

“Maybe I like to be left alone.”

“Some are like that,” she considered. “But you’re always just glaring at the water, so deep in your own mind. I think it’s scaring your packmates- that’s why everyone’s so on edge with you.” She kept her voice light. “If I come talk to you sometimes, maybe you’ll get in trouble less.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Edith!” rang the voice of Kalsi. “We’ve got time for a patrol, right?”

“ _What_ is her problem?” muttered Rubens.

“She’s hard of hearing. And seeing. And, uh… walking, sometimes. She’s seventy-something moons old and in denial.”

Rubens huffed a dismissive laugh.

“They aren’t going to vote against you," she reassured him. "Emry was just putting on a show for the pack. Besides, everyone’s more concerned about the Howl tonight. I should tell you about it, before it’s time to leave.”

He met her gaze, his yellow eyes looking a little more at ease. “I heard that little black fox…”

“Claw Vogel?”

“Yes, he was talking to Fang Ida about the Howl. What is it, then?”

“It’s a ceremony,” she began, “To honor the Spirits. Did your pack recognize the Spirits?”

“My mother spoke of Ara, and her children Chea, Kaatuua, and Taleeh, who created and watch over the earth.”

“I don’t know of such spirits, but I suppose your pack taught you different things. Maybe they exist alongside the Guardians that we honor, and watch over your pack, while we have our own deities.”

“Perhaps,” he said, nodding. “Tell me about these Guardians. If I’m in this pack, I want them to recognize me.”

Dapple appreciated his desire to integrate with her pack, which must have still been so new to him. “Well, there’s three main Spirits, the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. There’s many other lesser Guardians, and they became the stars. The Sun was born first, and then the Moon, and they became mates. Their daughter is the Earth, and their son we call the Banished Alpha, or the Fourth Spirit.”

“What happened to him?” Rubens’ ears were perked in interest.

“He led a war against his kin and the Spirit of Time, the Highest of Alphas, that created everything. The Sun burned him and defeated him when he attacked the Time Spirit. The Moon, inexperienced and afraid, turned away. The Earth trapped the Banished Alpha and his followers deep inside her. The burning anger of her brother inside her makes the hot geysers that spray from the ground.” Telling the story of creation made Dapple remember the time when Taw first told it to her and Feather.

“I’ve seen a geyser. They sometimes come up near my old pack. The Fourth Spirit must still be very angry; wolves have died from getting too close,” said Rubens.

“Have you noticed that we don’t eat any _Aves_? The birds were born of the big feathered wings that the Spirits have.” She glanced at the prey pile, guarded by Fang Valor. There were remnants of deer, a freshly caught goat, and some rabbits. Birds were never added to that pile.

“I remember the Shaman telling me that birds are messengers of the Spirits the day I arrived. He wasn’t very clear about it.”

“Shaman Sapling is strange, but he’s very good healing and reading feathers. Anyway, the Banished lesser Guardians and those who remained loyal fight a war on earth, we just can’t see them. They fight for the minds of the mortal creatures. Truly evil _Animales_ have been won over by those Banished Spirits, but if you fight for what’s right, they can’t take you.”

“I was taught that the world was dying and that the deities had to make sacrifices to save it, like Kaatuua, when she gave up some of her blood to become the water,” he said thoughtfully.

Dapple smiled, and realized how much she was enjoying talking to him. _I hope he considers me his friend._ “No one really knows, I guess. If you want to know more about the Spirits, you should talk to my sister. She’s almost done with her Healer training, she probably knows a lot.”

The sky had begun to grow dark. The red wolf met her eyes. “I’d rather just get it from you. I don’t think your sister approves of me.”

“Oh,” she whined, “You just need to get to know her.”

She noticed Feather was still looking at her from across the densite. Liekos, a Healer not much older than the sisters, was whispering something in her ear. “Speaking of which,” said Dapple, standing up, “I think my sister wants something. I’d better go.”

“Come over here,” barked Feather as she began to approach.

“I’m working on that,” she responded playfully. “Besides, you can’t tell me what to do, Paw.”

Feather’s gaze darkened. Liekos stood close by. “Rubens is freaking me out,” she said quietly, once Dapple was close enough to hear. “You really should leave him be. He’s already hurt Emry and Helio, and every time I look at him he’s either sulking somewhere or growling at the Beta.”

The anger that Dapple felt at this statement surprised her. “It’s not up to you what Canids I talk to!”

“Dapple,” Feather didn’t return the anger. “I spoke to Taw and Clover already. You’re going to end up hurt if you keep throwing yourself at someone who wants to be left alone.” She paused, and then continued, “I know I would be disobeying the Law to try and command you to do anything, so it’s just a suggestion. We only care.”

“Well I don’t need your suggestions,” Dapple snapped. “He’s the only one in this pack with no kin.”

“And you’re planning on changing that?”

Dapple realized she shouldn’t have said anything. “That’s not what I meant, Feather.”

_Stupid Paw. I don’t want a mate right now, and surely not a brute like him._

This thought process was interrupted by a coyote’s rallying bark. Shaman Sapling stood on the rockpile that Emry usually occupied. “Tonight is the Howl!” he announced. “Has Kalsi’s patrol returned? Is every Rebel here?”

The foxes and wolves looked around, scanning for missing packmates. “We’re here,” said Edith, the gray _Vulpes_ standing next to Kalsi. Sapling nodded with a smile and carefully jumped down from the rocks. “Lorenzo, you’re staying behind with your mate?”

“Yes, Shaman.”

“Alright. Stay safe, and let’s be off.” The Council fell in with him, and Dapple walked with her kin not far behind. She couldn’t help but notice that Rubens trailed at the back as the pack left the densite.

“Hey Dapple.” Liekos was walking with them, too. “Your first Howl as a Claw, right?”

“Yeah.”

Healer Liekos was a nice wolf. His pelt was gray, with lighter gray fur running down his back. He, like many others, had wandered far and wide, searching for another pack, and appeared to the Rebels one day. This custom of wolf exchange that more traditional packs had kept any pack from the dilemma of everyone being related, and thus no breeding blood, and thus the pack dying out. Or, at least, that’s how Taw had described it.

The trees thinned and the ground sloped beneath the Rebels’ paws as they made their way up the mountain, as they did when the moon was fullest. Now, it cast a silver light on the mountain crags and the pointed pine tops.

The valley that the Rebel densite was nestled in was at the base of a tall mountain, from which a winding path led right to a spot near the top, where a chunk of the stone was missing in a broad cavern that was open to the sky, as if a great wolf had taken a bite out of it. This location was known as Temple Point.

Though, something occurred to Dapple as she considered that name. “Feather, do you know what ‘temple’ means?” Dapple inquired of her sister as they walked. She hoped, regardless of their earlier conflict, that she would be willing to talk to her.

“It’s probably a dog word, so who knows.”

Dapple nodded. Dog words, as they were known, were foreign terms that no Rebel really understood. They were called dog words because they normally came from wandering dogs who picked them up from the _Sapiens_ , who apparently had a very strange language.

The destination was in sight. The Rebels spread apart within the hollow in the side of the mountaintop. The way it was shaped, Temple Point collected water in its lowest portion. This water was so clean and so clear that on some nights you could see tadpoles resting on the smooth stones at the bottom.

The pack quieted, and Shaman Sapling, his fur for once clear of debris, stepped into the middle of the shallow pool, ripples extending from where his pads touched the water. A light breeze lifted his fur as he began the ceremony.

“Another moon has passed for Rebels Reign,” he said, “And it has been a prosperous one. Winter is steadily on its way, yet we welcome the pups of the absent pair, Claws Lorenzo and Helena!”

There were yips of approval from the gathered pack, and Dapple joined in. The pack knew all of this, but because this place was so close to the sky, it was the best place for the Shaman to tell the Spirits. _Though I suppose they already know, too,_ she thought.

“We have also observed the ceremony of Claw Dapple!” Sapling spoke as though he was introducing her to an old friend, and Dapple’s family barked loudly in approval.

“And lastly,” he said, “we have welcomed the former Wanderer, Paw Rubens, into our ranks.”

Dapple looked over her shoulder at where Rubens was sitting, away from everyone else. Her voice was the loudest as she cheered for him. _I know he’ll make Rebels Reign even stronger, just like he said he would._ His face was unreadable. _Even if my sister doesn't appreciate him._

“Now, let us drink from the clear water of Temple Point, and sing our praises to the Moon on this clear night!” He dipped his head and lapped from the water between his forepaws.

Approaching in waves, each Rebel took a small drink from the water. It was cool and fresh on Dapple’s tongue. The voices rose around her, beginning with the Shaman’s melodious and ringing call, then the deeper tones of the wolves and the smaller howls of the foxes. Gazing at the silver moon, she swallowed the water, which moistened her throat to sing, and let forth a mighty howl.

_Great Moon,_ she closed her eyes and prayed, _my praises be to you as you faithfully protect the_ Canids _of Earth._ _Let this next moon be as prosperous and healthy, and let Rubens feel at home here._

She could hear when Rubens joined in, the last to drink from the pool, and his deep voice became a foundation for the others, completing the song of the Rebels. _Thank you, Moon, for letting him find us, wherever he came from. He belongs here._

After a long and happy moment, the voices slowly died as the pack ran out of breath. The Howl was complete.

As the moon waned, ever so slowly turning her silver face away from the earth, winter tightened its grip on the mountains. The first snow of the season came only a few suns later, and it was cold enough that is stayed on the ground. Dapple continued to try and be Rubens’ friend, and he seemed to enjoy her company. The other Rebels, at least to her, simply tolerated him.

He had not had another conflict with the Beta since the night of the Howl. Dapple was satisfied that he had made himself a place as a Rebel, even if his only paw-hold was her friendship. He had learned to calm himself during training, and hadn’t hurt anyone. Auburn was teaching him more and more complex battle techniques, and he regularly brought larger prey to the densite, occasionally with Dapple supporting the other end to present their joint kill to the pile.

She was proud of him.

Meanwhile, Feather had completed her training as a healer, and as Dapple mused over how these days had been, her sister was doing her Trial with Shaman Sapling in the nearby den, beneath the ground.

She had her head on her forepaws when Feather erupted from the den, smelling strongly of herbs, and tackled her like they were still pups. “I passed! Sapling said I passed!”

Dapple grinned and pushed her off. “Go tell Dad, I’ll find Mom.”

Feather nodded gleefully and raced towards their father, who was fiddling over by the medicine stores. Dapple padded through the thin covering of snow that was already dented with pawprints, big and small, towards the main entrance. Clover, stressed over Feather’s long trial, had occupied herself by going hunting.

Her mother’s tracks were the freshest, and her scent was sweet on the cool air. A hare was dangling from her mouth when she found her.

“Feather passed! Come on, or we’ll miss the ceremony!” Clover apparently couldn’t talk around the fluffy piece of prey, but as they bounded down the slope into the valley, throwing fresh-fallen snow in the air, much of the pack was already assembled.

“There they are,” said Claw Citrus, a young yellow vixen.

Alpha Emry was atop his rocks again. “I believe that’s everyone.” Even Helena, usually so busy with her pup, swiveled her golden ears forward as she half-emerged from her den.

Clover placed her prey on the pile and they settled near the front of the pack, where Taw and Oka were already sitting. Feather was on her haunches stiffly before them, her chest puffed, apparently trying to look cool and professional. Dapple could see her sister’s plumy tail brushing the snow, wagging wildly. Sapling was closer to the Alpha’s perch, gazing at him absently.

“Another ceremony,” teased Taw, “Maybe we should skip this one? You just had one eight moons ago, Feather.” Clover reached a paw round Dapple and prodded him, and Oka laughed lightly.

“This isn’t the only ceremony today, Taw,” Oka said to him. The Council usually decides what the ceremony day will be each moon. This time, it was ten passes of the Sun after the Howl. Helena’s pup would be named today, too.

“Rebels!” barked Emry, silencing the chatter. “Today we have the delight of welcoming another trained Healer. She has worked hard to prove her skills to our Shaman for the past eight moons, and her work has brought her far. Shaman Sapling?”

“Yes, Alpha?” said the coyote delightedly, as though he had never done this before.

“Has this Paw met your expectations to proceed in becoming a Healer?”

“She has exceeded them, Alpha Emry. Her skills will serve this pack well.”

Feather was smiling now, and her muzzle was angled at the sky. Taw made a happy sound that was somewhere between a bark and a howl.

“Then I, Alpha Emry,” announced the todd, “declare that Healer Feather is fully among our ranks. Let this be known through the heavens and the Earth!”

Dapple and her kin around her howled, almost in unison. She was the first to arrive at her sister’s side, licking her face in glee. Taw put a paw across Feather’s shoulders playfully.

When the howls finally died down, the pack remained assembled. Feather sat with her kin, her fur still fluffed with pride. “Healer Feather…” murmured Dapple. “Who would have thought?”

“You’ve worked so hard! My pups! I’m so proud of you both!” whined their mother, nuzzling them each.

“Don’t bask in your own light all day, Healer Feather,” commented Dapple as she spun to look towards Helena’s den. The Bearer was climbing out of it, allowing Lorenzo to take her place at the entrance.

Emry's gaze towards Feather was full of warm pride. He let the celebration go unhindered for many heartbeats, and when Dapple and her kin had all returned their attention to him, he began to descend from the perch.

“Are you ready, Bearer Helena?” he called.

“Yes, Alpha,” she said, shaking out her creamy pelt.

“Then-” He landed lightly on the ground, “Let us prepare for the second ceremony of this moon, the Naming Ceremony of Helena and Lorenzo’s first litter.”

When he finished speaking, Ida’s voice took his place. “Rebels, some of us here have never been a part of a Naming Ceremony before,” she called, and her golden eyes landed Dapple and her sister, then glanced at Rubens, who was sitting farther away.

“A pup will not be seen by any of their packmates, excluding the Healers, their Bearer, and their Sire, for their first moon of their lives.”

_Sire..._ Dapple considered the unfamiliar word. _I suppose it’s another word for father._

“Helena’s litter, now one moon of age, will be welcomed to the pack and receive their names today.” Some of the older Rebels were already forming a line from the den entrance. Shaman Sapling passed something white to Helena. Dapple already knew that there would be only one pup in this litter. Soon she wouldn’t have to keep that a secret.

Following their mother, Dapple and Feather approached Fang Valor, who seemed to be directing the arrangement of Rebels. “Not too close, Lorenzo,” he was saying. “They should have plenty of room.” The wolf backed up a bit.

The Rebels were forming two lines, beginning on either side of the underground entrance with Lorenzo and Liekos, and ending with Helena, who held in her jaws what Dapple could now make out to be the pelt of a white rabbit. Something was familiar about this scene to Dapple, as she absently gazed at the pelt.

“I think…” murmured Feather, echoing her thoughts, “I think I might remember our Naming Ceremony, Dapple.”

Dapple nodded in response. “Yeah…” She crouched to sniff the den entrance. If softness could be conveyed in a scent, it was emanating from the den.

“Get away from there, Claw Dapple,” said Liekos. Feather settled herself next to him.

“Paw Rubens, to the back with the Beta.” Ida yipped.

“Dapple, Clover, next to Edith, please,” Valor said politely.

After the chaos died down, Dapple was sitting about halfway down the lines, between Edith and her mother, with Oka across from her. Feather was near the den, with Healer Liekos. Lorenzo, across from them, had his head inside the den. Dapple counted eleven _Canids_ in each of the two lines.

“The first trial a Rebel faces is there Naming Ceremony,” said Clover. “It’s awfully scary for a young pup to see everyone gawking at them. And this weather is terrible.”

Valor positioned himself on the other side of Clover, next to Rubens, who was the last in that line. The red wolf’s gaze was wide with interest and his ears were angled towards Lorenzo as he coaxed his pup from the den.

Helena placed the pelt between her forepaws, and gave a series of short whimpers, a light tone. “Come here, my daughter.”

The creature that emerged from the den was the most adorable thing Dapple had ever seen in her life. As evidenced by their similar chirps and whines, the pack agreed. She struggled to maintain her position in the line as the pup wobbled a few steps into the snow, which almost reached her belly, and whined.

Her pelt was light brown, but Feather had said that it could change with age. Her eyes were dark blue, like a clear twilight sky. The pup was tiny, and the tips of her ears flopped into her face. The cold air was making her shake. Lorenzo licked her roughly. “Go on,” he said, “Go see Momma.”

Shaman Sapling reached a paw out in front of the pup, scooping snow towards him. The Rebels around him followed suit, clearing a path towards Helena. Dapple’s tail wagged as she scraped her paws on the dirt, pulling every last piece of snow underneath her.

The pup had cautiously advanced a few shakey pawsteps further, stopping to sniff Lavender and Helio. She was as big as the adult Vulpes already. Only when she tried to clamber over them did they nose her back onto the path, huffing lightly with laughter.

“Come on, little pup,” said Edith enthusiastically. “You’re almost there!”

A chilly wind swept through the valley, and the pup crouched with a whimper. Helena’s ears drooped in worry. “Come to Mommy…”

Clover glanced towards the den. “One pup?”

“I think so,” murmured Dapple.

“Well, they’re a young couple yet. It’s only their first litter.”

The pup was almost to Dapple. Trying to beckon her, Dapple spread her paws in a playful stance. “Here, pup!”

The tiny wolf blinked against the white world and seemed to finally notice her mother, trotting past Dapple. Then, she stopped.

Rubens looked down at her. He didn’t look like he appreciated the way she was craning her neck to see his face. The pack was silent except for a small whimper from the puppy. Then he grinned mischievously with a soft growl.

“Rubens!” gasped Dapple. Helena was glaring at him.

“I’m just messing with her, relax.” The pup was curled on the rabbit pelt, pressed against her mother, but the Rebels’ eyes were still on the Paw. “What?” he said incredulously.

_By the Spirits,_ Dapple thought, shaking her head, _I hope he never has pups of his own._ Attention was back on the pup when Lorenzo padded around the line, joining his mate and daughter. “Packmates,” he said lightly, sending a nervous glance at Paw Rubens, “We’re delighted to introduce you to our daughter, Katha.”

The pup curled closer to her mother’s warmth. The tails of the Rebels thumped the ground. “Welcome, Rebel,” said Alpha Emry.

“Welcome, Rebel,” the pack echoed. Rubens’ voice was with them, too, though quiet. Dapple looked at him thoughtfully, and sighed. _Where in the Realms was this wolf raised?_


End file.
